Review of "Love Object" (2003)
Love Object is a tale of erotic horror that's been floating around on the film festival circuit for a year or so. It's being released in L.A. for a limited time (May and June), then going straight to DVD.
Desmond Harrington, an actor who's no stranger to the horror genre, plays Kenneth. Kenneth is a socially inept technical writer who develops an obsessive relationship with Nikki, an anatomically correct silicone sex doll.
Despite the fact he's in serious financial trouble, Kenneth orders the $10,000 plaything from RealDoll.com and creates his love object in the image of Lisa (Melissa Sagemiller), a woman he is infatuated with, but is too shy to ask out on a date. Oddly enough the, er, experience with his blonde, rubbery toy gives Kenneth new romantic skills and he soon smooth talks blonde, fleshy Lisa out of her panties. Things take a turn for the weird when Kenneth does a reverse and starts to model Lisa after his darling Nikki.
Things take a turn for the weirder when the doll's jealousy comes to life and Kenneth becomes trapped in a perverse love triangle, torn between the dominating, murderous Nikki and sweet, caring Lisa. The strange trio of main characters are backed up by a solid supporting cast: Udo Kier plays Kenneth's nosy apartment manager, and Rip Torn is his demanding boss.
Love Object starts slow, but holds your interest. Sometimes adversely affected by awkward acting and poor cinematography, the movie still holds its own and gets stronger as the horror aspects come more to the fore. While Love Object will probably not join the rank of 'cult classic' it's a fun little indie with a quirky, evil undercurrent. I won't say the story isn't rather uneven, but Love Object is ultimately worth seeing because of its insidious, slow approach to the gory climax. If you liked offbeat horror films like May or Ginger Snaps, then you will probably also enjoy this film - it's a good rental for a stormy night in.
As Kenneth dips into 'Norman Bates meets The Marquis de Sade' waters, horror fans will stand transfixed and will definitely not be disappointed by the shocking finale.
Review by Staci Layne Wilson for Horror.com